May the Leaf Burn
by TheReaper999
Summary: And it's ashes be scattered to the wind. It was supposed to be a simple sting operation... Tsunade thought she could somehow force Naruto into it. It turns out he was much smarter than anyone thought. (Not finished yet).
1. Chapter 1

**1**

* * *

"You're… joking, right?" said Naruto as he heard what the Hokage just said.

"I'm not," replied Tsunade with a shake of her head. "I was said that you were the one who tried to assassinate the Raikage. Not only that, but you are also accused of killing Jonins from Kumogakure and Iwagakure, and there are even wanted posters of you from Kirigakure." With each word, Naruto's confusion rose and his heart dropped. "Therefore, until the investigation is complete, you will be sent to Hozuki Castle in Kusagakure for detainment."

"Wait, there's no way I could've done all that! I haven't even left the village in a long time!" Naruto tried to argue but he was only met with a hard stare from Tsunade and disapproving gazes from Kakashi, Sakura, and Yamato, and a sad one form Shizune. "W-Why…" he choked out, trying to hold back tears, and sunk to his knees.

"I'm sorry, Naruto," said Tsunade with a hard voice. "It'd be best for you to not resist and silently obey Yamato."

Naruto laughed. It wasn't the usual one, full of joy and happiness. No, this was a sad, self-deprecating one with malice dripping of each rumble that floated around the room. So… thought Naruto ruefully, I guess this is what betrayal feels like.

"Sixteen years…" he began, gaining confused looks from everyone. He stood up again and continued, "Sixteen years ago, the Kyuubi was sealed inside me without my consent. It was to keep the village safe; I understood and accepted it. For four years after that, I was put into an orphanage by the Sandaime. He knew the villagers hated me… that they blamed me for what the Kyuubi did. Yet he put me under their care. I was barely fed properly, given old clothes, and sometimes outright ignored by the caretakers. When I was four, I was literally kicked out of that shithole and left all alone on the streets to fend for myself."

By now, Sakura was gaping. She had no idea Naruto's life had been so hard… on top of that, she had mistreated him at almost every chance she had gotten when they were younger. The pinkette looked down feeling ashamed of her self.

Tsunade and Shizune had a sad look in their eyes. They knew somewhat of how Naruto was treated. In fact, Tsunade had found it surprising that Naruto had still wanted to become Hokage even after all the abuse from the villagers.

Kakashi looked down. He was an ANBU at the time and told himself that he never had time to care for his sensei's son but everyone, including him, knew that was merely bullshit.

"I understand that the Sandaime was busy, but literally all I had asked for was that I get a good place to call home. Instead, all I got was that sorry excuse of an apartment. Even in the Academy… all the teachers stunted my growth. I never fucking understood why. What had I done!? What was my fault!? I was sent out for asking questions, given rigged tests, made to use imperfect and imbalanced kunai and shuriken. And still, I managed to get a passing mark. After that, I get betrayed and get told by a fucking traitor of my burden," Naruto's hands were clenched so hard that his knuckles were almost turning white. "Then, I get put on a team with a so-called 'prodigy' with a superiority complex and a fangirl who doesn't know the first thing of the ninja life."

Sakura's head jerked up. She looked at Naruto like he had just slapped her.

"Sasuke-fucking-Uchiha… The last 'loyal' Uchiha. The one I considered my friend and my rival… the one who slammed two Chidori in my chest." Naruto looked at Sakura. "Did you know that, Sakura? Did you know that your oh-so-precious Uchiha was the one who willingly tried to kill me?"

"I-I…" Sakura stammered, not knowing what to say.

"Yeah, that's right. The curse mark didn't control him… He attempted to murder me in cold blood willingly. Which brings me to my next point. Our beloved cyclops. The copy-ninja. The one and only, Kakashi Hatake," Naruto openly glared at Kakashi. "The man who preaches to take care of your comrades and then openly, blatantly plays favourites with his students. The man who abandoned his own sensei's son."

Again, everyone's eyes widened.

"Huh?" Said Sakura, trying to process the information.

"Oh right, you guys don't know, do you? My father was the Yondaime Hokage. Minato Namikaze."

Sakura, Yamato, and Shizune couldn't believe it. The son of their hero… was treated like a pariah.

"Then came Jiraiya… my godfather. Also, the one who didn't teach me jack shit. I've so much to say about him it would take me a whole year to finish. Finally, when the Akatsuki attacked, I saved this village. I risked my life and defeated the enemy. Hell, I even went so far as to get Nagato to bring everyone back to life… And stil,l after all that, all I am to you guys is the Kyuubi brat who can't be trusted no matter what…"

"Naruto, that isn-," Tsunade tried to say but was abruptly cut off.

"You guys know what that spiral on the back of the flak jacket and the one in the leaf symbol means? No? Well education time, ya little shits. It symbolizes the alliance that the Leaf had with the Uzumaki. That when any of them were in trouble, they come to each others' rescue. You know what happened when they were attacked in the Second War? They were betrayed by the Leaf. Those who break the rules are trash but those who abandon their comrades… Wanna finish that sentence, sensei?" Naruto asked Kakashi to which he didn't receive a reply. Naruto chuckled, "That's what I thought. I thought, 'it's okay. Let's forgive and forget'… but it seems that treachery is a core part of the Leaf, huh?"

"Naruto… you're bordering on treason now," Tsunade said warily.

"Fuck you, Hokage-sama," Tsunade felt a pang in her heart. "Fuck the Leaf. Fuck the will of fire." Naruto said and turned around to walk out of the office.

"Naruto," called out Tsunade. "You can't leave!" she started to get up to halt him but before anyone could react, Naruto slammed his hand on the floor and an intricate seal array spread all across the room. Everyone found themselves unable to move and their chakra flow stilled, almost to the point where it wasn't moving. This way, Tsunade couldn't even release her yin seal to overpower the seal.

"May the leaf burn… and it's ashes be scattered to the wind," Naruto said as he slid off his headband and threw it on the floor and left.


	2. Chapter 2

**2**

* * *

Naruto grit his teeth as he leapt across the rooftops. His wet cheeks glistened slightly in the sunlight and his sobs went unheard. He'd had enough.

My own village… My own damn village… I've done nothing but live and protect it and they still suspect me of shit like this? Why!? What have I done!? My dad gave his life for this! My mom came here and her whole family was betrayed and still, she forgave them. I have been shunned my whole life and I still stayed loyal but now they want to send me to prison?

Naruto couldn't think of why they would be doing something like this. Tsunade – the freaking Hokage – saw Naruto as her own little brother/son. This was a well-known fact and yet she'd do something like this? Naruto wiped his eyes with his sleeve. Well… it didn't matter now. No matter how hard he tried, he could never stop loving this village. He'd give his life up for it even now. That's why that was exactly what Naruto decided to do.

Naruto mentally calculated that the seal should be holding strong for about ten more minutes. That's how much time he had to get someone else to sign the Toad Summoning Contract and then leave the village. But who to choose? Who was worthy enough for him to pass down the contract to? Who else wouldn't ever betray Konoha?

He smiled a little bit, as the perfect person popped into his mind. His own little pupil. One whose name itself says Konoha.

 **...**

Naruto landed suddenly in Team Ebisu's training ground, effectively scaring the hell out of all of them.

"Boss!" Konohamaru yelled out in glee.

"Naruto-nii-san!" Moegi yelled out just as excitedly.

"Naruto-san!" Udon said a little more composed than his teammates.

"Hey, guys!" Naruto greeted them happily. "Sorry but I have very little time, so I can't train with you. But I do need Konohamaru to come with me immediately!" The three Genin looked confused for a moment but nodded anyway.

Naruto led Konohamaru into the woods and into a clearing where they finally stopped.

"What's going on, Boss?" Konohamaru asked nervously. He'd never seen Naruto like this before. Usually, his Boss was the very definition of cheerful but at the moment now… It was like there was a dark cloud of doom hanging over the blonde's head.

Naruto smeared some of his blood onto his palm and ran through hand seals faster than the human eyes could even perceive. He slammed it down and from a poof of smoke, a large scroll appeared. "Konohamaru," he spoke quietly. "I'm passing the Toad Summoning Contract onto you."

"Huh?" Konohamaru said. "W-Wait, Boss!"

"I can't wait, Ko. I was going to do this sooner or later. Might as well do it now, right?" Naruto said with a clearly strained smile.

"Naruto… Is everything okay?" Konohamaru asked in a tone that didn't belong to one as young as him.

"No, Konohamaru. Nothing is okay. But you have to do this quickly! We can't waste time," Naruto said, urging Konohamaru to sign the scroll.

"No! First, tell me what's going on!" Konohamaru shouted.

"Konohamaru!" Naruto shouted back. "Sign it! Then I'll tell you on the way to the gate. We only have six more minutes till the whole damn ANBU is upon us."

"Wha? Why is the ANBU after you!?" Konohamaru asked bewildered.

"Sign it, Ko," Naruto said simply.

The duo stared at each other for a while before Konohamaru finally gave in and signed it. The scroll disappeared in a poof once again as it closed. They ascended into the trees once again and made it to the town.

"Now tell me what's going on!" Konohamaru shouted angrily.

"I'm going to die," Naruto said and the little Genin nearly fell off the rooftop. Naruto quickly told Konohamaru the whole story and his future plans.

"WHAT THE FUCK!?" Konohamaru screamed. "You can't leave the village like this! You did nothing wrong! Let me talk to the Hokage!" he said and started to jump away but before he could even make it farther than a foot, a swift blow from Naruto to the back of his head knocked him out.

"Sorry, Ko," Naruto whispered as he laid out the little Genin on the street. Someone would find him eventually. "Make sure to become Hokage for me."

Naruto's speed increased as he entered Sage Mode and whizzed past the gate guards too fast to even see. He again ascended the trees and got on his way towards the forests of Fire country.

 **...**

Naruto's leg slipped off the branch and he tumbled down.

"Ah, shit…" he said as he tried to get up. His muscles were on fire and his lungs felt like they were filled with needles. He had been running for more than 24 hours straight. And now, finally, he was at the place he needed to be.

The blond closed his eyes and entered his mindscape. "Yo," he said with a wave, imitating his sensei.

One huge red eye opened and stared directly at Naruto. "What do you want?" said the Kyuubi with a snarl.

"To make a deal," Naruto said. "You want freedom. I want to protect my village."

The Kyuubi stayed silent for a few seconds before fully turning his head to look at Naruto with both eyes. "I'm listening," he said.

"Promise me to never again attack Konoha unless you are provoked by them first," Naruto said in a confident tone no man who was walking towards his grave should have.

"What's in it for me?" The mass of chakra asked.

"I'll let you go."

The Kyuubi was silent for a few seconds once again before speaking. "You'll die."

"I know."


	3. Chapter 3

**3**

* * *

Please don't die. I'm sorry, Naruto! I'm so sorry.

Those were the thoughts going through Sakura's head as she sped through the trees with Tsunade, Kakashi, Gai, Yamato, the other Konoha 12 and three other ANBU squads.

Once the seal in the office had worn off, they had all moved at once. Tsunade had immediately mobilized ANBU to search every nook and cranny of Konoha for her favourite blond. But no one had found anything. That's when Sakura had barged in while carrying a barely conscious Konohamaru. Everyone in the room had been surprised at the amount of killing intent leaking off of the little Genin.

Once he had relayed his story and Naruto's plans, they were sprinting through the woods without a second thought. Konohamaru had to be knocked unconscious to prevent him from coming along.

"I can see a bunch of broken branches in the distance!" shouted Neji from the front of the squad. "He probably fell from exhaustion."

"Naruto? Exhausted? Are we talking about the same guy here?" asked Chouji to lighten the mood a bit. It didn't work.

Within minutes they arrived at a clearing in the woods. It looked as if someone had crashed through the trees and slid across the place. Blood was splattered, trees were broken, and burn marks were everywhere.

"What the hell…" Kiba whispered.

"There was a battle," Shikamaru stated the obvious. "Most likely between Naruto and a very skilled fire user… could be Itachi."

"N-No…" said Sakura as her eyes went wide.

"I found a blood trail!" Kiba shouted from a distance and everyone rushed towards his position. "The blood is Naruto's but that's not the only scent here."

"L-Let's follow it!" Sakura shouted and got ready to bolt but was held back by Kakashi.

"Hold it," he said calmly. We don't know who our opponent could be…"

"It doesn't matter!" Sakura screamed at him. "Naruto could be in trouble! We have to help him!"

"AND GOING TOWARDS HIM BLINDLY WILL JUST GET US KILLED TOO!" Kakashi screamed back at her. "I'm also worried, alright? I also want to do everything I can to help him but if he really is battling someone on the calibre of Itachi Uchiha then we'll just be getting in his way."

Everyone was silent, going over options in their head but before anyone could say anything, a gasp from Kiba caught their attention.

"What is it?" asked Shikamaru.

"T-This scent… It's not Itachi. It's Sasuke!" Kiba said with wide eyes. A low growl escaped from Akamaru's throat as he heard the name of the traitor.

"Well… shit. What do we do now, Hokage-sama?" Kakashi asked as he looked towards Tsunade.

Tsunade was silent for a moment before she finally nodded to herself. "Follow the trail," she ordered solemnly while praying for Naruto's safety.

…

(A/N: I suck at writing fights so visualize that on your own.)

Naruto stood on the branch of the tree, leaning against the trunk, clutching his badly wounded abdomen. Likewise, Sasuke stood on the ground a bit farther away, also leaning against the trunk of the tree. He was missing an arm and an eye. Both young men glared at each other.

"You're stronger than I thought you'd be. I definitely underestimated you. Either way, it doesn't matter. I'll kill you today," Sasuke said arrogantly as purple chakra started rolling off of him.

Naruto instantly created five shadow clones. Three ran backwards, going to a safe place to gather Nature Chakra. Two ran sideways, taking out paper, a brush, and a bottle of ink from their pouch. The real Naruto pulled a kunai from his pouch with his free hand and rushed forwards, towards the Uchiha.

A purple ribcage formed around Sasuke as Naruto ran towards him. He smirked arrogantly and stood there, confident that the kunai couldn't even scratch the Susanoo armour. Naruto saw this and pulled another kunai with his other hand. The huge wound on his torso opened up and started bleeding once again. Immense pain flooded Naruto's body, but the blond ignored it and kept pushing. He coated both kunai in wind chakra and threw them so that they would fly from both sides of Sasuke.

The Uchiha predicted the path of the kunai with his single Sharingan and smirked wider as he thought Naruto was using the last of his strength.

As soon as the kunai left his hands, one of the shadow clones popped, transferring all the Nature Chakra to Naruto and entering him into Sage Mode. He put a hand out and hastily formed a small but power Rasenshuriken and threw it, dead straight at Sasuke.

The Uchiha, knowing that the flying ball of chakra could and would cause real damage, dodged it and moved directly into the path of the kunai, thinking that he'd be safe since simple kunai couldn't possibly penetrate his Susanoo armour. Unfortunately for Sasuke, these weren't simple kunai.

The Rasenshuriken flew by harmless and just as Sasuke was about to make a snarky remark, a sharp pain in his torso stopped him. He looked down and saw a gaping hole, the size of a fist on the left size of his chest.

"Now you know how it feels to get something shoved through your chest," said Naruto emotionlessly as he slowly advanced towards Sasuke.

"St-Stay back, dobe!" Sasuke screamed as all the energy left his body. He fell on his back and tried uselessly to crawl away. "Fuck!"

"I'll kill you here, Sasuke. Then I'll kill myself. How does that sound, huh?" Naruto grinned like a maniac.

"Wha-," Sasuke choked as the killing intent the Naruto exuded made it hard to breathe.

"NARUTO!" came a scream from behind, stopping Naruto in his tracks. That voice… Sakura?

Said blond turned around to see a ton of ANBU and all his 'friends' come out of the trees.

"Sakura? Baa-chan? Sensei? What… What the hell? How'd did you catch up to me so quickly?" Naruto said with wide eyes as he slowly inched backwards. He was on the brink of chakra exhaustion. If there was a fight right now, he'd lose. No doubt about it.

"Naruto," this time it was Tsunade who spoke. "I'm sorry."

"Huh?" Why is she apologizing? Thought Naruto.

"Please allow me to explain. No one suspected you of anything. We just wanted to conduct a sting operation and use you as bait. I'm really sorry for this Naruto, but just please hear us out, will you?" Tsunade spoke as she held back tears. The moment she had seen his face she could tell that it was the face of someone who had resigned themselves to their fate. It wasn't an expression that belonged on his face. She had to bring him back no matter what.

"It's too late, Baa-chan," Naruto said solemnly. "I'm also sorry, but… this has to be done."

Before he could take any actions, Tsunade spoke again. "Yes, I get it. And that's fine, but please just listen first. Then you can do anything you want," she tried and failed to not sound desperate.

A moment of silence passed as Naruto contemplated his decision. Finally, he answered with a small nod. "Alright."

Tsunade sighed in relief. "Thank you. Sakura, please go check on the Uchiha," the Hokage ordered.

"Hai, Shishou," Sakura said and walked over to where the Uchiha lay barely conscious. She knelt down beside him and started healing the wound on his chest. "Sasuke-kun?" she spoke through gritted teeth.

"What?" Sasuke replied in his usual arrogant way.

"When you and Naruto were young, and you fought at the Valley of the End, who won?" she asked.

The rest of the audience listened quietly to the exchange between the two former teammates. Naruto held a grim look on his face as he also listened.

"I did, of course," Sasuke said and chuckled despite the pain.

"And you put two Chidoris through his chest?" Sakura asked the final question.

"Yeah, I did. I only regret not killing him at that time," Sasuke said as he glared at the blond.

"I see," Sakura's reply was barely audible, but what followed was the loudest and the goriest scene anyone had seen.

Sasuke screamed out in agony as his body thrashed around. Sakura held him down using one arm and put her other hand on his head. "SAKURA, NO!" Tsunade shouted a bit too late. Immediately, Sasuke's head exploded in a shower of blood.


End file.
